April 13, 2010 
Wisconsin State Legislature 
State Capitol 
Madison, Wisconsin 

Re: AKC Concerns with Assembly Bill 793/Senate Bill 580 

Dear Members of the Wisconsin State Legislature: 

The American Kennel Club (AKC) writes on behalf of the 114 American Kennel Club-affiliated dog 
clubs, as well as the thousands of responsible dog owners in the State of Wisconsin, to express our 
numerous concerns with Assembly Bill 793 and Senate Bill 580 as currently written. We respectfully 
urge you to not allow this legislation to pass. 

While we appreciate and applaud the sponsor’s and legislature’s desire to protect the safety of 
animals, we believe that AB 793 and SB 580 violate the rights of private citizens and could result in 
numerous unintended consequences for innocent, responsible Wisconsin dog owners. 

The AKC is concerned with numerous provisions in these bills, including provisions for payment 
requirements with no regard for due process. As currently written, the bills require the owner of the 
seized animals to pay in cash, bond, or securities (whatever is mandated by the court) for the care of their 
animals. If the owner does not pay the full amount within 5 days, the animal will be declared 
“unclaimed”, and ownership rights are lost. Furthermore, the owner must continue to pay throughout the 
duration of the court proceedings, which may be extended for a considerable length of time. No 
provisions are made for financial hardship. If the owner manages to pay for the full length of the 
proceedings and is found not guilty, he is then only reimbursed for the unused portion of his payments. 

Furthermore, AB 793 and SB 580 permit those that contract for the care of seized animals to petition the 
court for funds, as well as the ability to sell, euthanize, or otherwise dispose of an animal during an 
ongoing trial. These decisions should be left up to the owner, who should maintain property rights to the 
animal until there is a guilty verdict, the appeals process has been exhausted, or ownership rights have 
been relinquished. 

Numerous provisions in Assembly Bill 793 and Senate Bill 580 are a direct violation of the owner’s 
due process and private property ownership rights. The AKC and our affiliated clubs in Wisconsin 
welcome the opportunity to work with you to develop reasonable legislation that addresses concerns 
without violating the rights of Wisconsin citizens. We urge the Wisconsin Legislature to consider our 
concerns and not allow the bills as currently written to advance. 

Sincerely, 


Sheila Goffe 
Government Relations Director 

Cc: 
Assembly Speaker Michael Sheridan 
Senate President Fred Risser 
Members of the Wisconsin State Legislature